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L. s. HEPNER;

SEED PLANTEB, GOVERER, AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. No 255,286. PatentedMar. 21,1882.

WITNESSES: IN NTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lillwgmpher. Washington. n. I).

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS S. HEFNER, OF SPARKLING CATAWBA SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA,

ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. O. ELLIOTT, OF SAME PLAGE.

SEED-PLANTER, COVERER, AND FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,286, dated March21, 1882.

Application filed June 15 1881. (No model.)

seed-planter, coverer, and fertilizer-distributcr. Fig. 2 is a top viewof the sowing mechanism with the hopper removed; Fig. 3 is a verticalcentral section in the line m of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detailviews.

My invention relates to improvements in seed-planters, coverers, andfertilizer-distributers; and it consists in the peculiar constructionand arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth. 4

1n the accompanying drawings, a represents the beam, 1) Z) the handles,and c the standard, of a plow, all of the usual construction. Near theouter end of the beam a circular hole is made transversely near itslower face and extending across the upper face of a short block boltedto the under face of the beam for the reception of an axle, (I,cylindrical in its middle and journaled in the beam and block, andhaving squared ends, one of which passes through a square hole in awheel, a, resting on the ground and supporting the plowheam, and Jrevolving with the axle d, the opposite squared end of the latterpassing through a square hole in the band-pulley g, so that the wheel 0and baud-pulleyg revolve with the axle din the forward movement of theplow. A band,f, 40 passes around the band-pulley g, its upper portionpassing thence over a pulley, h, on the axle 'i of a dropping-wheel, k,thence over a guide-pulley, I, back to the pulley 9, whereby in theforward movement of the plow the dropping-wheel 7c, hereinafterdescribed, is revolved to drop the seed. 3y employing bandpulleys g ofdifferent diameters the distance apart of the seed can be regulated asdesired.

m represents a spring, secured at one end to l the upper face of theplow-beam in front of the plow, and having the bail a secured to itsrear free end, and the lower ends of the arms of the bail pivotallyconnected with the upper ends of the curved standards 0 0. The curvedcovercr-standards 0 0 are pivoted to the upper part of the plow-standardby means of a horizontal bolt, 19, passing through the plow-standard, onwhich the covercr-standards are pivoted. The horizontal bolt 19 isprovided with right and left screw-threads near its ends, provided withtwo nuts on each end, between each pair of which a covererstandard isheld. By this construction the coverer-standards, one provided with aright and the other with a left share, secured to their ends, may bereadily adjusted laterally, so as to cover deep or shallow, as may bedesired.

q represents a slot made in the plow-beam near its rear end.

4' represents a box, detachably bolted to the rear end of the plow-beamunder its slot, and provided with journal-bearings for the axle ii ofthe dropping-wheel k, and an open bottom for the escape of seed down thefeed-spout s, secured at its upper end to the lower face of the-box 1',and secured near its lower end to the back face of the plow-standard, sothat the seed fall directly into the furrow made by 1 the plow. Ahopper, t, is arranged over the 1 slot q in the rear end of the. beamfor the reception of the seed to be planted.

It represents the dropping-wheel on the axle t, and is arranged directlyunder the hopper, and revolves in the slotq and box 1". Thedropping-wheel k is provided with a recess in its circumference,havingone edge thereof cut away. In this recess in. the dropping-wheel a plug,a, provided with a central hole and screw the plug projecting up abovethe circumference of the dropping-wheel, and leaving a space for thereception of seed between the cut-away portion of the circumference ofthe droppingwheel and the side face of the plug a. The 5 plugs to aremade of several sizes or lengths, and are detachable andinterchangeable, in or-- der to regulate the number or quantity of seedto secure itin place, is inserted, the upper face of 0 to be sown. Inthe revolution of the droppingwheel the upper face of the plug raisesthe free end of the spring 11, lying in the slot q and secured at itsouter end to the upper face of the beam, allowing the seed to be carriedaround and over the seed-tube and discharged therein. The function ofthe spring 0 is that of a cutoff to prevent the seed from being carriedinto the seed-tube until carried there by the dropping-wheel.

To prevent the seed from escaping at the rear end of the box 1', Iinsert apiece, w, across the box, and arranged in recesses :10 m.

yrepresents a spring, one end bearingagainst the back face of thecross-piece w and the other end resting against the rear end of therecess, the tension of the spring being exerted to force the piece toforward and prevent the falling out of the seed through the bottom ofthe box.

What I claim as myinvention is-- 1. The combination, with a plowprovided with a seed-dropper depositing seed in the furrow made by theplow, of the spring m, bail n, secured to the free end of the spring,covererstandards 0 0, carrying right and left plows, and pivotallysecured to the lower ends of the bail-arms and pivoted to the horizontalboltp, having right and left screw-threads provided with nuts, wherebythe spring-coverers may be adjusted laterally, substantially asdescribed.

2. The dropping-wheel 70, provided with a recess in its circumference,having one edge cut away, in combination with detachable andinterchangeable plugs u, substantially as described, and for the purposeset forth.

3. The combination, with a plow provided with the supporting-wheel c anddetachable and interchangeable band-pulleys g, of the band f, axle i,carrying the pulley h, and recessed dropping-wheel k, having detachableand interchangeable plugs 11, detachable box 1', spring o, and piece to,having spring 3 substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth.

LEWIS SIDNEY HEFNER.

Witnesses:

L. C. SIGMAN, H. A. HERMAN.

